Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

26 December 2018

LTTE Deserters & Mercenary Parliamentarians

The  Christmas present from a senior member of the Sri Lankan Diaspora came in the form of email sharing – headed ‘Rebel cadre turned politician rules out re-emergence of war’. I read the Daily Mirror article because I felt that it was important to the leader and that he was seeking my thoughts on this. The first paragraph introduces us to the person concerned as follows:

[K. Thulasi is a former LTTE cadre who had been well versed in handling firearms when LTTE activities were at its height in the north. However, he had given up the use of firearms during the final stage of separatist war that took place in Mulliwaikkal in Jaffna and surrendered to the Sri Lanka Army. Following rehabilitation, under the Sri Lanka Army, he entered politics and became the leader of a political party on behalf of militants.]

 When we are true to ourselves, we identify with the truth in others – often this truth in those others that they themselves  are not conscious of.  LTTE separatism was no local fight. It was beyond local borders strongly supported by Indians and beyond regional borders – by nations whose leaders were more committed than Sri Lankan leaders, to human rights.

To be reliable, in his predictions about whether there would be a repetition, Thulasi needed understanding of global leadership or needed to be true to himself. On the basis of truth – Thulasi’s projections would cover those whose minds were like his. They are the deserters. They would not identify with Tamils who have the true power to invoke regional and global forces of self-governance which often comes with eustress due to Sri Lanka’s low status in the global community. Until Thulasi is elected by people – he does not qualify to officially represent those people. If there is a community of deserters – and they make up majority in a particular electorate – he would have the official authority to speak on their behalf.

Thulasi talks about cleverness in handling arms. This is negative in politics, unless majority Tamils are driven by brawn before brain. The Sri Lankan government that kept celebrating its victory in war – was creating a perpetual state of war. This naturally weakened its brain and hence the recent political defeat exposed to the eye of the world. LTTE’s genuine contribution to the stated cause happened through  the sacrifices they made, to live in highly controlled disciplined conditions developed as natural structures of self-determination. That is an eternal power that would be shared with anyone who genuinely seeks self-determination in that area. That is how the LTTE continues to live through Tamils. The form in which their sacrificial spirit would invoke itself would vary. But it is eternal.

This was clearly confirmed during the recent political crisis – in which Tamil National Alliance which ‘included’ militants also in their political grouping, became the balancing force in National Parliament. But if militants take leadership of the Tamil community – they would suppress the political power – especially the Chanakya political wisdom that is in our genes.

One of the wise messages of that inheritance goes as follows:

[Whoever imposes severe punishment becomes repulsive to the people; while he who awards mild punishment becomes contemptible. But whoever imposes punishment as deserved becomes respectable. For punishment when awarded with due consideration, makes the people devoted to righteousness and to works productive of wealth and enjoyment; while punishment, when ill-awarded under the influence of greed and anger or owing to ignorance, excites fury even among hermits and ascetics dwelling in forests, not to speak of householders.]

All those who overly punished militants and therefore the Tamil community – became repulsive. Those leaders who pampered the likes of Karuna and Thulasi of the same militant group became contemptible. The Sri Lankan President who ill-awarded punishment excited fury even among self-governing Sri Lankans.

The following question was asked of Thulasi:

[Q: Do you think persons who were rehabilitated and those who didn’t follow this process are of the opinion that there is a need for a separate state or separate form of rule?

A: There is no problem in the Tamil people living under a unitary state. But Sinhala people think it is as a problem. In the same way, all of us who returned to our homes after rehabilitation look forward to receive a fair decision. Then, nobody would think that it is necessary to divide the country, have a separate form of rule or stage another war. This country would not have deteriorated if the Sinhala and Tamil leaders got together and took a decision following discussions. By this time, the loss in terms of people and properties cannot be estimated in the form of money. It was not only the Tamil leaders, among the dead were Sinhala leaders and ordinary people. All this was a result of the war.]

To my mind, it is obvious that Thulasi has been brainwashed including by himself. Such a person would not have the depth of ownership to project whether there would be another war in Sri Lanka. The only certainty is based on Truth. This may be another manifestation unless custodians of  power follow the law with discipline or act within their truth and leave the rest to karma / the system of truth.

The recent manifestations in parliament when none of majority race including within government  seemed to respect the contribution by Tamils to resolve the political crisis faced by Sinhalese – confirms the high level of ingratitude in Sinhalese for power sharing demonstrated by Tamils. One needs gratitude to complete the experience at the deeper level. One who forgets invokes the problem again and again. Who becomes the medium is truly secondary. In any case, there are enough Tamils who would become as mercenary as the politicians who were bought over or were ready to be bought over by the Rajapaksa leadership. These are ongoing natural influences in environments that are free of  supervision of the law and/or the truth.